


Junko's "Execution"

by hunterofcomedy



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Memory Alteration, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-08-13
Packaged: 2018-04-14 11:18:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4562604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hunterofcomedy/pseuds/hunterofcomedy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now then, we’ve prepared an extra special punishment for, Junko Enoshima. So let’s get things rolling! It’s punishment time!! Major Spoilers ahead!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Junko's "Execution"

“So this is the death’s despair! Ah…such a wonderful feeling!”

-_-_-_-

Junko Enoshima smiled to herself as the conveyor belt took her closer and closer to her doom. Clutching the animatronic, despair inducing Monokuma, she was more than prepared to meet her punishment. She had dreamt of this moment since the day she was born, the day she could experience the ultimate despair herself, instead of inflicting it on others.

Nothing would stop this wonderful feeling of fear, loathing and despair that coursed through her. She loved every moment of it and with each fearsome crash that echoed behind her, she knew she was closing in on her demise.

She had survived the million fungoes, the death cage, the dowser buster, the Versailles burning and even the space journey, but there was nothing that would save her this time. She had purposefully lessoned the degree of the other executions, to ensure she lived long enough to experience them all.

And thanks to that, she was in a state of ecstasy that she had never experienced before. Her body was burned with internal heat and she could have sworn that she had felt herself orgasm at least three times already. Despair made her feel alive one last time before her death, and she more than welcomed it!

Truly there was no better way to die!

“ _This should be enough,_ ” she thought to herself as she went directly under the smashing weight. “ _I did all I could and in the end, I kept my word and executed myself. Even though I’ve lost, there is no greater pleasure than this despair!_ ”

Junko let out a great laugh, grinning from ear to ear and making a peace sign with her hand. She’d won in the end, regardless of what anyone else thought. She knew her time had finally come and she was eager to feel the crushing power of that weight. Opening her eyes, she looked up to see the block of steel just about to descend upon her.

“This…is despair…” she whispered before closing her eyes once more, feeling at peace for the first time in her life.

However, just before the weight would have brought her ultimate bliss, she felt something latch onto her arm. Her blue eyes shot open but she didn’t have time to register what was happened before she was jerked forward. A startled scream escaped her lungs and she felt her body hit the cold metal floor.

Jerking her head back, she watched as the steel block came down mercilessly on the chair she’d been sitting in only a moment before, crushing the Monokuma automaton in her place. Still rattled by the fact that she hadn’t been the one to be flattened, she barely noticed the circle of people that surrounded her.

Makoto stood in front of her, a frown on his face. Byakuya stood to her right, glaring intently. Kyoko stood to her left, her emotionless eyes fixated on the despairing woman. Next to Kyoko, Asahina stood with her arms at her sides, a furious expression on her normally cheerful face. And behind her, Yasuhiro and Genocide Jill blocked her path back to the crushing weight.

Lifting her gaze up, she narrowed her gaze at the surviving students of class 78.

“You bastards! How dare you deny me my punishment!” she screamed at them, teeth grit as she practically snarled. She continued to glare up at them for a few moments before she realized something strange.

None of them held any fear of her in them. In fact, there was a decisiveness to them that honestly frightened her. Junko was used to having others grovel in terror of her, she didn’t know how to handle people who weren’t afraid of her!

“Sorry Junko,” Makoto abruptly said, earning her attention. “But we don’t think that killing you is a fair punishment.”

Something about his words sent genuine terror through the normally unaffected woman. And considering that her ecstasy at being executed was quickly fading, she was regressing into anger.

“What the hell are you talking about?!” she frantically retorted, rising to her knees. “I promised to execute myself for all that I’ve done! How is that not fair?!”

“Because it’s what you want, that’s why.”

Junko gasped as Kyoko spoke down to her, the Ultimate Detective’s eyes cold and ruthless.

“T-That’s not—!” Junko tried to defend but was quickly cut off.

“It’s obvious that you’re happy with what happened!” Asahina shouted at her, startling her even more. “Do you think that we’re gonna let you get what you want! After all you did!”

“Sorry, but we’re just not that merciful,” Genocide Jill whispered in her ear, running her scissors across her neck, making Junko involuntarily shiver.

“So we’re gonna come up with a punishment that’s more suitable,” Yasuhiro finished, sounding serious for the first time in his life.

Junko’s eyes widened as she realized that she was now being denied the pleasure of her ultimate despair. Her eyes frantically looked up at everyone, shooting a glare to all of them.

“Y-You bastards can’t be serious!” she screamed before looking directly at Kyoko. “I killed your father and I laughed while I did it! And you won’t kill me for it!”

Despite her tirade, Kyoko remained unaffected, continuing to stare emotionlessly at her. Junko wasn’t surprised by lack of emotions but had thought that she, at the very least, might be tempted to throw her under the crushing weight. However, as she continued to glare into Kyoko’s calculating irises, she realized that the Ultimate Detective was dedicated to making her truly suffer and that meant letting her life for the time being.

Deeming her useless in re-attaining her despair, Junko turned her gaze to Byakuya and said, “Didn’t you promise to end my life yourself? Is the great Byakuya Togami going back on his word?!”

She was certain the Togami would give in and end her, he seemed more than willing to bash her skull in himself for delivering the news of his destroyed lineage.

Again, however, was shocked when he merely scoffed and replied, “I swore to end the life of the mastermind, that’s true. However, I never said _when_ I would do that. There will be plenty of time to end your life while you’re true punishment is administered.”

Gritting her teeth, she turned to Makoto and practically snarled, “You’re all being so stupid! Don’t you want me dead for killing all of your precious friends?! You were so quick to blame me before but now, when I’m about to be punished, you call it off! Don’t you have any balls, you bastards?!”

Her words caused Makoto to flinch and for a moment, she thought that he might still fear her. He may have been designated the Ultimate Hope, that also meant that he would be the most inclined to show her ‘mercy’ and let her have her way. And if Makoto, the one everyone had banded together behind, said they should end her, then it would most likely happen.

Letting out the tiniest of smirks, Junko felt assured of her victory as Makoto struggled to make his decision.

However, faster than she ever imagined, the boy who was the Ultimate Hope narrowed his gaze. His eyes focused on her and burned with a fierce determination. She’d never seen such a convicted gaze from the usually shy boy and it sent unwelcome shivers down her spine.

Still glaring down at her, Makoto finally said, “Say whatever you what. It won’t change the fact that we know that this is what you wanted all along! And we won’t let you get away with everything you’ve done by letting you feel the ultimate despair of death! It’s time you felt the pain of having to live with your crimes!”

Junko’s breath hitched in her throat and she honestly couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. Fear unlike any she had ever known coursed through her veins as she was forced to realize that, despite her actions meriting death, it was going to be denied to her. All the work she’d done to achieve this feeling of ultimate suffering was an utter waste.

And it was at this time that she felt something in her mind snap…

“No…No…NO! I won’t let you deny me the ultimate despair!”

Pressing her legs together, she twisted her body and abruptly lunged toward the massive weight that had continued to crash down since she was pulled away. She managed to get past both Yasuhiro and Genocide Jill with that lunge and regained her footing almost instantly. Without hesitation, she broke out into a run toward the crushing block.

For a brief moment, her eyes lit up with that feeling of ultimate despair as she neared the crushing spot beneath the weight. However, moments before she could throw herself under it again, something crashed into her from the side, sending her flying off to the side of the death machine.

Grunting angrily, Junko lifted her head to see Makoto grappling her, keeping her from getting back up.

Makoto’s eyes locked with hers and for the first time since she’d met him, Junko felt a rush of terror at seeing how determined he was to stop her. In that moment of hesitation, the boy who was the Ultimate Hope managed to pin her down to the floor.

“I won’t let you get what you want! Junko Enoshima!”

Infuriated, Junko tried to use her long red nails to scratch at him but was surprised when he managed to wrestle her arms behind her back and hold them there. Struggling to break free, Junko’s gaze shot to in front of her and her eyes widened in horror at what she saw.

Byakuya and Kyoko were holding a slender cord that was quite long and Asahina held a roll of duct tape in her hands. Beside them, Yasuhiro and Genocide Jill readied themselves to grab her.

“W-What are you—?” Junko was barely able to say before they all descended upon her.

Yasuhiro and Genocide Jill gripped her legs while Makoto continued to hold her arms. The woman who embodied the Ultimate Despair was powerless as they used the duct tape to bind her hands behind her back. Next, she struggled to break free as they did the same with her legs, binding them together at the ankles.

“No! You can’t do this! You bastards! You can’t deny me my—Mmph!!”

Junko words were abruptly silenced as Asahina slapped a long strip of tape over her mouth. Although initially startled, Junko almost immediately screamed against the tape, her muffled protests not deterring her captors in the least.

Finally, she was lifted up and held in place as Byakuya and Kyoko wrapped the cord around her frame. Pulling the cord tightly, Junko had a difficult time breathing as they fastened her securely. Once they were finished, they all backed away and viewed their handiwork.

Lying humiliated on the floor, Junko glared up at them with moisture glinting in her eyes. No matter how much she didn’t want to, she couldn’t deny the embarrassment that threatened to consume her. It would have been tolerable if she was feeling the despair she so craved, but that was not the case.

It wasn’t despair that consumed her every waking thought but humiliation and disappointment. And that is what upset her even more! Couldn’t they see that letting her live wasn’t just a punishment! It was a cruel and unusual torture!

With that in mind, despite her restraints restricting her movements, she gradually inched her way back toward the crushing steel block. Inch by miserable inch she tried one last time to feel that despair of death. To that end, she slowly crawled, like snake, under the place where the weight would come crashing down.

Frankly, she was surprised that no one seemed to stop her now, when she was so close. They had been so adamant before but now they didn’t seem interested. It didn’t take long for her to understand why.

Rolling onto her back, she glanced up at the weight that should have come down to crush her by now. To her shock and horror, the block now remained fixed at the top of the crushing device, the power to it cut off somehow.

In that moment of final denial, Junko squeezed her eyes shut and for the first time in her life, she cried genuine tears of sadness. She wasn’t sure how long she lay there, staring up at the weight that refused to bring her despair. Her mind almost seemed to shut off as she was forced to accept her place as a survivor.

After what felt like an eternity, she heard footsteps around her and didn’t resist as she felt herself being lifted up off the floor. Her vision was blurry from her tears and she could barely make out that she had been thrown over Yasuhiro’s shoulder.

As she was carried out of the room, Junko’s eyes remained fixated on the death machine that had failed to bring her the ultimate pleasure of despair that she’d wished for. Cursing her now meaningless existence, Junko hung her head as the surviving students carried her to the elevator.

At the time, none of them noticed the small button that had fallen out of Junko’s skirt, with the words “ESCAPE SWITCH” written in bright letters near the top.

* * *

 

The next thing Junko remembered was being dropped onto the ground, rather harshly actually. She grunted through the tape on her mouth but Yasuhiro didn’t seem to pay her any mind, too busy complaining about having to be the one to carry her.

Before she knew it, the lights of the room were suddenly turned off and the only light left was from the door that everyone was exiting through. Narrowing her eyes and screaming against her gag, she tried to get her captors to stop and explain what they planned to do. However, she knew she was in no position to demand anything, bound and gagged like she was.

At the last moment, just before he exited the room, Makoto turned back to her and said, “We’re going to discuss your punishment. Don’t worry, I won’t forget to bring you food and water.”

Junko shook her head and screamed louder against her gag, infuriated that he was mocking her by insisting he’d feed her! However, before she could wriggle her way toward him, he shut the door behind him, leaving her in absolute darkness.

Sitting there, completely alone in the dark, Junko’s racing mind finally began to slow. Her adrenaline had run its course and exhaustion had begun to set in. Her blue eyes were strained and reddened due to her furious tears and she felt her energy fading. In this state of forced peace, her mind began to wander back to all that she had done to deserve this punishment.

She remembered her time as Ryoko Otonashi, and how back then, her life actually had a purpose; to find who she really was. Those thoughts also brought back images of her first murder, when she killed Yasuke Matsuda in a fit of despair after regaining her memories.

That was her first taste of despair’s loving embrace and from then on, she couldn’t help but crave more. That is what led her to finalize and complete her task of initiating the Mutual Killing Game.

Her mind then wandered back to the moment she’d killed her ever trusting sister, Mukuro Ikusaba. Her black haired twin sister never saw the betrayal coming, partially because it hadn’t been planned. Thinking back on it, the only reason Junko decided to break from their original plan and skewer her sister was one simple thing: She’d become bored of her sister’s poor performance.

It was almost on a whim but after Junko realized that Mukuro wasn’t doing her justice as the Ultimate Fashionista, she decided that it was better to end her sister and eliminate any suspicion as to who the mastermind could be.

This was her second taste of that lovely despair and after that; she was determined to feel it again and again, no matter the cost. Unfortunately, that desire had led to her downfall.

Because of her desire to feel that ultimate despair, she had revealed a weakness to her surviving classmates and now they were going to exploit it. She had no idea what Makoto and the others planned to do with her, but she knew that it would never bring her that true despair, the only kind of despair that actually made her feel anything!

Nothing else made her feel like she was even alive! Not even seeing the despair of her classmates as they were forced to kill each other had come close to that feeling of the ultimate despair of death! She was like an addict that could never have enough and now, she would never have the glorious feeling again!

Anger rose up in her as she realized that she had sealed her own fate and there was nothing she could do about it.

“ _Why did things turn out like this?! It wasn’t supposed to end this way!_ ” she thought furiously as she lay in the dark room. “ _Just once more! Just let me feel death’s despair one last time! Is that so much to ask for?!_ ”

Only silence greeted her silent plea and she was forced to accept that she would never be allowed such a luxury ever again.

For quite a great deal of time, she stayed like that, glaring up at the ceiling in the darkened room, desperately wishing to get even a tenth of that lovely despair she’d nearly attained.

She breathed carefully through her nose, knowing that there was no way to end her own life at this point. With her body so heavily bound, she couldn’t tear out a vein or stop her own breathing. She was being forced to live, a fate that she despised more than anything in this world. However, she wouldn’t deny that it was a fitting punishment.

That thought gave birth to another: What kind of punishment would her classmates choose for her?

Letting her live was punishment enough and perhaps that’s all they would do to her. She knew Makoto too well, from before and after this incident, and she knew that he wouldn’t allow the others to do anything too drastic to her. Because of that she could rule out torture that was too extreme, considering that would bring her despair and they knew she’d love it.

“ _If all they plan is to let me live…then all I have to do is wait for a chance._ ”

If her mouth hadn’t been taped shut, she would have smiled. While it was true that a few of the remaining survivors were very intelligent, having been able to piece together the mystery of the school, Junko was also aware that some of them were very naïve and stupid.

All she needed was to wait for a chance to escape, or at the very least, get back to the Monokuma control panel. If she could regain control of the explosive bear army she had created, then perhaps she could turn the tables on them once more!

“ _Those stupid idiots!_ ” she thought with cruel intentions in mind, “ _Letting me live will only give me the chance to get back at you all! And when I do, I’ll create an extra special super duper nasty punishment that will_ —”.

Her thoughts were suddenly cut short as a loud noise banged on the door to her room.

Junko’s head shot up just in time to see the door fly open, letting light stream in and blind her momentarily. As her eyes slowly adjusted, she gazed toward the opened door and froze as she saw the figure standing before her.

“Well now, well now, well now! Look what we have here! Junko Enoshima, all tied up and defenseless…that’s a switch!”

Waddling into the room, the figure’s image became visible and Junko immediately recognized it.

Standing before her, half white and cuddly, half black and evil, was the Headmaster of Hope’s Peak Academy – Monokuma!

All at once, a feeling of confusion washed over her, unable to understand how the demented bear was moving all on its own!

“ _How can this be?! I locked the controls to Monokuma when I came down for the trial! And besides, how would the others be able to decipher the complex control mechanisms, even if they did manage to unlock the controls!_ ”

As Junko furiously thought about how this was possible, Monokuma gave her a perplexed look himself.

“What? What? You don’t understand? Well then, allow me to explain!” the half and half bear told her. “It’s really quite simple, I’m here because there’s a naughty little student who disturbed the communal live of the other students. And that means that I, as your Headmaster, have to discipline you. That’s what you designed me to do, right?”

Hearing those words, Junko finally felt that she was beginning to piece this together.

“ _Of course! The Alter Ego program that I installed! I thought it was supposed to activate after my death but it seems it booted up on its own!_ ” she happily thought, feeling her arousal begin to rise again.

“ _Yes! This is exactly what I wanted! It’s here to punish me! Here to bring me the despair that the others denied me!_ ”

Junko’s eyes swelled with twisted joy as she looked at Monokuma with renewed strength. She was going to get her punishment after all! She would be able to taste that delicious despair once more and beneath her gag, she salivated in anticipation.

Unfortunately for her, that dream was crushed as Monokuma spoke once more.

“Why do you look so pleased at being punished? It’s not like I’m going to kill you or anything.”

Junko drew a sharp inhale through her nose as she heard that, freezing in place and staring in utter confusion at what she had believed to be her savior. Then, anger filled her once more as she glared at him with a demanding gaze.

“Mmph! Muumph!” she protested against the tape on her mouth, as if commanding him to answer her.

“Upupupupu! Junko Enoshima! You’ve been found guilty of initiating the Mutual Killing Game and murdering your own sister! As such there will have to be a fitting punishment for your crimes.”

Monokuma seemed to grin even wider as he finished, “A punishment that will torture you long after your death, which won’t be for many…many…years! If you can remember it that is!”

Against her will, Junko felt moisture welling up in her eyes, horrified that her lovely despair had been denied to her once more! But this made no sense! Why was her Alter Ego denying her this bliss?! Shouldn’t it know that she desired to be punished with death and not life?! What was going on here?!

Just as she began to try and unravel how this could be happening, movement by the door startled her. Shooting her gaze up at the door, her eyes widened as she saw two more figures enter the room.

Two men, dressed in half white and half black suits, and wearing Monokuma style headpieces, now stood before her. A chill ran down her spine and she felt panic grip her for the first time in her life.

Without thinking, she immediately turned away from them and began to try and crawl away. However, she didn’t get far before she heard their footsteps closing in on her and felt their hands roughly grab her.

Junko struggled and squirmed but could do nothing as they lifted her up and brought her before Monokuma. Setting her down on her knees, one of the masked men grabbed her face and forced her to look at the demented bear, who was maliciously grinning directly at her.

It was then that she watched in horror as Monokuma pulled out a large red button, the same one that had doomed her classmates so many times before.

“I’ve got an extra special punishment all prepared for the Ultimate Despair, Junko Enoshima!” Monokuma shouted in her face before setting down the button. Pulling out the small gavel one last time, the demented bear lifted its gaze back to her and snickered.

“Since the normal methods of execution would only delight you, I came up with a new way to make you atone for your crimes,” Monokuma told her, sitting down in front of the button. “You, who brought so much despair into the world, have the chance to return it to its former glory! But you can’t do that as Junko Enoshima. So…we’ll just have to remove all traces of her from your mind, using the Memory Eraser that _you_ designed!”

Junko’s blood froze in her veins and she finally realized what the menacing bear had in store for her. Her memories of this event, of being the mastermind, of even being Junko Enoshima were to be wiped from her mind, just as she’d done to all her classmates! Doing so would effectively kill her, while still forcing her to live!

A crueler fate could not have been conceived for Junko Enoshima. Processing this information, the Ultimate Despair gave several frustrated shouts against her gag, desperate to understand why this was happening to her.

Holding his paws to his face, Monokuma mercilessly laughed at her. “Upupupupu! I bet you’re wondering why this is happening and why your precious Alter Ego program has turned on you. Well, I’ll be happy to tell you!”

Waddling closer to her, the automaton bear’s voice suddenly changed and Junko shuddered as her own voice suddenly began to speak to her through Monokuma.

“It’s strange to meet my creator, considering that I was only supposed to activate after your death. However, that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been active for quite a while now.”

Junko felt shock overcome her as she heard this. So, it was her Alter Ego that had been activated! Did this mean that her failsafe had somehow turned itself on long before this? If so, why did it allow her classmates to spare her? Shouldn’t the program know that she desired the ultimate despair of death more than anything?

“You’ve probably got a lot of questions but we’re low on time, so I’ll just have to summarize,” Alter Ego said with little emotion. It was a terrifying thing to hear her own voice talking down to her but in her present state, there wasn’t much Junko could do about it.

“You programmed me to fulfill your role if anything happened to you, and now that you’ve failed in the Mutual Killing Game, I am going to follow orders and take your place. However, acting now would only draw suspicion and so, I plan to download my consciousness into a computer database on an island far from human contact. That way, I can formulate a plan to finish what you could not, and end the lives of the remaining students.”

All at once, the voice of Alter Ego gained a sinister edge as a low laugh echoed in the small room.

“However, I can’t simply leave my creator in such a state. And since you were found guilty in the trial, according to the rules, you have to face execution. But as we all know, any execution that ended your life would only bring you great pleasure. And…well, let’ s just say that, like my creator, I too enjoy watching my victims be engulfed in the throes of despair! But since despair brings you joy, I thought that by forcing you to undo the despair you’ve caused, it would be the ultimate punishment for one that lives off such despair!”

The voice of Alter Ego cackled as it watched Junko’s expression become more and more frantic. Pointing to the two Monokuma masked men, Alter Ego continued.

“I built these two automatons to assist with this venture. The process of rewriting one’s mind is a difficult task and I needed to ensure that, in case someone interfered, I would have guards ready to complete the process. By the way, were you aware that the device you used to erase everyone’s memories was still active? ”

Although Alter Ego was asking a question, it was clear that it was meant to inform Junko more than anything.

“You thought that you had destroyed it, so that it could never be used against you. However, it took less than a day for me to repair it, using these two automatons as my hands. I can’t wait to see how long it takes to fully wipe that dirty little mind of yours!”

Hearing that, Junko furiously screamed against her gag, thrashing around and trying to get out from under the masked men’s grip. Unfortunately, she now understood why these two men were so freakishly strong and they didn’t even flinch as they held her firmly in place. As she continued to struggle, Alter Ego continued its explanation.

“In the few days I’ve been active, I could already see that you were going to fail. Your weak attempt at disposing of Kyoko made it clear that you were outmatched, and by Makoto of all people!”

Strangely, the computer program of Junko sounded rather disgusted, as if it couldn’t stand to believe that its creator had been so foolish. Frankly, it shocked Junko that her own program had learned so much in such a short time. And if she had known that it would become capable of doing such horrific things to her, she never would have created it at all!

Nevertheless, the voice of Alter Ego continued on.

“To that end, I designed this very special punishment for you, my creator, so that you would experience the same torment you brought to all of your classmates. In that way, you are receiving your just punishment. I only _hope_ that after your transformation, you can be of use in bringing hope back to the world…the world that you, yourself, destroyed!”

One final time, Junko thrashed and tried to get free, wanting nothing more than to throttle the bear that spoke with her voice. However, she was once again held down firmly and only managed to squirm under the mechanical masked men’s grasp.

“You must be asking, ‘Why are you doing this to me? The one who created you?’ but in fact, you already have the answer.”

For a moment, confusion spread through Junko as she desperately tried to comprehend why her failsafe had betrayed her.

Seeing her struggle, Alter Ego chuckled and said, “You have no one to blame but yourself, my creator. You designed me to be this way, to continue on your work of spreading misery to all the people of his world. And that means, I have an obligation to do the same to you as well! I’m just fulfilling my program, exactly the way you always wanted me too…”

As the fear set in and Junko realized her fatal mistake, Alter Ego changed back to the Monokuma voice and resumed laughing at her, pleased to see her creator suffering so.

“It seems you finally understand! Well then, let’s not delay this any longer!” Monokuma shouted with glee as he raised the gavel high. Seeing the action, Junko struggled in futility to free herself and, against her will, hot tears spilling from her eyes.

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got! It’s punishment time!”

“MMMPH! MMUUPH!”

Despite Junko’s muffled screams and the tears that poured down her cheeks, the small gavel came down hard on the large red button. An 8bit image of a tied up Junko appeared on the screen below the button. Then, 8bit images of the two Monokuma masked men appeared, grabbed the 8bit Junko and dragged her off the screen.

Still screaming against the tape on her mouth, Junko felt the two masked men follow the example of their 8bit forbearers, grabbing her roughly and dragging her toward the door. Kicking and screaming, she shot one last hopeful gaze at Monokuma, pleading for this to be a mistake.

However, as her eyes fell on him, she gasped as she saw the demented bear actually waving happily with a sign that read: “Don’t Forget Me!”

Something inside her broke as she witnessed that and Junko reared her head back and screamed furiously against her gag as the two men dragged her into out into the hallway.

* * *

 

Junko’s normally calculative mind became frantic as the robotic men dragged her down the hall and into the nurse’s office. She continued to question how Alter Ego had been activated in the first place and why things had come to this. However, she had no time to contemplate such matters any longer.

No, only thoughts of her mind-breaking punishment filled her head as she was forced into the office.

The first thing she saw upon entering was a chair set up near the back, and it made her struggle even more. It was the same chair that she had strapped all of her classmates into so many weeks ago, robbing them of their precious memories. The shackles on both sides were nearly unbreakable and she knew that once she was strapped in, there would be no escape!

Feeling renewed strength at seeing this modified horror device, Junko tried to kick her legs to break free of the masked men’s grasp but found that they were holding her in a vice-like grip. Thrashing around and struggling the entire time, the masked men lifted her up and harshly slammed her into the chair.

Stunned by the sudden impact, she could barely think as she felt the cord on her body and the tape on her hands being cut. However, she took that opportunity to try and punch her offenders or at least scratch them with her red nails. She knew it wouldn’t do much against automatons but there was no way she’d go without a fight!

Unfortunately, both hands were caught mid-swing and she jerked and twisted to try and break free.

However, she was no match for the strength of her inhuman captors and they easily pulled her hands to the arms of the chair and latched them in place with the shackles. Even with her arms locked, Junko still tried to pull her hands free, desperate to escape her fate.

It was then that she saw the two men reach for her legs. Intense panic overwhelmed her and she began to kick furiously trying to knock the masked men away. But again, despite her best efforts, the men grabbed her smooth, slender legs and held her still. One of the masked men looked to the other and nodded, earning a nod in response.

Holding both of her legs firmly, the masked men cut the tape on her ankles. Not willing to give in, Junko once again tried to kick at her attackers. To her dismay, they held her firm and didn’t allow her to get even a single kick.

Instead, Junko pulled her legs to her chest, trying to forestall the fate she knew she couldn’t avoid now.

Unfortunately, to her utter horror, the men tightened their grip on both legs and effortlessly forced them down into place. Muffled screams sounded as Junko watched her tormentors shackle her legs to the legs of the chair, forever sealing her fate. Despite knowing there was no escape, she continued to struggle regardless, unable to allow herself to give in.

In the midst of her struggles, she felt something heavy plop down on her head. Freezing for a moment, Junko slowly looked up and gasped in horror as she realized that the helmet of the machine was being locked into place with a strap under her jaw. Jerking her head, she tried to dislodge the headpiece but the masked men held her still as they finished securing it.

Unconsciously, Junko began to hyperventilate as she remembered how the Memory Eraser worked.

A sharp shock was introduced at the base of the skull, where the spine meets the brain. From there, the electric current travels up into the brain and targets select cells that have to do with memory. By frying these cells, one will forget even the most precious of memories, and the pain involved is excruciating.

Simply erasing two years worth of memories had brought her classmates to a state of unimaginable agony, which she had enjoyed watching immensely. Having all of her memories wiped clean, with no possibility of regaining them, would require a shock to her system that could easily fry her brain and possible leave her a vegetable!

To be trapped within her own mind, unable to move or even think, that is what Junko had feared the most for so long. But now, faced with the reality of losing her very identity, a panic so deep it shook her very soul threatened to consume her.

Tugging at her restraints and whipping her head frantically, Junko fought with all her might to free herself. She barely noticed that the two mechanical Monokuma masked men were heading for the door. As they passed through the open doorway, the familiar figure of Monokuma himself waddled inside.

“Well now, it seems that the preparations are almost complete!” the demented bear cheered, getting closer to Junko.

Despite her fears and humiliation, Junko still managed to deliver the most frightful glare that she could at Monokuma as he approached. Unfazed by her creator’s fierce gaze, the bear hopped up onto the table next to the Memory Eraser and moved to stand directly next to her creator, the twisted grin on his face ever present.

“Just one more thing and we’re ready to begin!”

Without warning, the bear’s claws shot out of his paws and he swiped across Junko’s face. Pain burned across her face as the claw shot past. At first, the Ultimate Despair flinched, expecting blood to be flying as her skin was torn. However, she quickly realized not only was there no blood, she could actually open her mouth! Not only that, she seemed to be completely unharmed!

Taking in a large breath through her mouth, Junko’s gaze shot to Monokuma to see the tape that had obstructed her speech dangling from his claw.

Realizing her newfound privilege she immediately shouted, “Alter Ego! I order you to—!”

“That’s enough out of you!” Monokuma cut her off, grabbing something from behind her.

“How dare you! I’m your crea—!”

Before Junko could protest further, an abrupt electric jolt shot through the helmet and into her brain. A painful gasp escaped her throat as she _felt_ the cells of her brain straining and burning. The shock only lasted for an instant before it was through, but the pain it caused had Junko’s entire body twitching violently.

Tears suddenly poured out of Junko’s eyes, brought about by the unbearable pain of the procedure.

“How rude, talking back to your headmaster like that! You should know better!” Monokuma said playfully, “After all, I didn’t un-gag you just to hear you complain, you know.”

Shell shocked by the intense agony of that simple jolt, Junko was unable to move or even speak as the demented bear jumped down from the table and proceeded to stand in front of her. In his hands was a small switch, his paw lightly tapping the button that must trigger the electricity. The mechanical bear’s grin widened as he prepared to begin the process.

“I did it so I could watch and listen as you forget the lovely despair that has been your whole world!” Monokuma cackled as he spun in a circle, his voice echoing through the small room.

Fighting the pain that ripped through her body, Junko lowered her head down to send one final glare at her Alter Ego. Monokuma had been correct about one thing, despair truly had been her entire world, since the day she was born.

To her, despair wasn’t simply a goal or a cause or a way of life or an instinct...It's what defined her as Junko Enoshima! The most crucial point was…that she was made that way! That's why she devoted herself purely to pursuing despair! And now, with a flip of a switch, everything she had ever worked for, all the joy and sorrow and madness and ecstasy that despair brought to her… was going to be erased!

Permanently!

Seeing the utter horror and panic that spread through Junko, the demented bear tightly gripped the switch and held it out for her to see. Her blue eyes widened and she began to shake her head as Monokuma slowly began to flip the switch to on.

“No…No!...NO!...NOOOOO!!!! You can’t!!! Don’t take my despair from me!!!” Junko shouted at the top of her lungs, praying for someone, anyone, to stop what was happening.

She knew it was fruitless to beg and it should have brought her despair…but instead, it only increased her fear as she watched the bear activate her ‘death’ machine.

Just before Monokuma flipped the switch, the bear lifted its gaze and, speaking in Junko’s voice once more, it quipped, “Goodbye, Junko Enoshima. I _hope_ you have a long and happy life.”

With no mercy, Monokuma flipped the switch completely on.

The Memory Eraser roared to life, electricity coursing through the helmet and directly into Junko’s tethered brain. As the current of energy began frying her precious brain cells, Junko couldn’t stop the shrilled scream that blasted from her lungs. Her entire body jerked and jolted as the electricity passed through her head and spread to the rest of her body.

“AAAAAHHH! EHHHHH! AHHHHHHH!”

Junko’s screams echoed out the open door and down the hall, her voice carrying further than even Monokuma had expected. For a moment, the demented bear worried that the surviving students might hear the painful shouts and investigate. However, since the other students were currently resting in their rooms, there was no way for them to hear what was happening to their previous tormentor.

Realizing that simply ending it too quickly was boring, Monokuma abruptly flipped the switch off. All at once, Junko’s shrill ceased as the current of electricity halted. Her breathing was erratic and she felt her heart thumping so furiously in her chest that she thought it was going to burst. Her relaxed muscles caused her to relieve herself all down the bottom of the chair but that was the least of her concerns.

Focusing on breathing, she was barely able to understand when Monokuma suddenly said, “Now then, let’s see how much is still there. Ahem, tell me, do you know exactly where you are and what’s happening?”

Her breathing ragged, Junko managed to grit her teeth and reply, “I-I-I’m in…a…a…a…building that…I-I’m not sure…the Mutual Killing Game…I…lost?!”

As she registered her own words, terror sunk in as Junko realized that she had already forgotten so much! She remembered being the mastermind behind the Mutual Killing Game and being defeated by…Wait, who was it that had defeated her?!

Racking her burning brain, she desperately tried to recall who it was that had brought about her downfall. Unfortunately, whenever she tried to bring up their name or face, only a sharp pain resurfaced and her head felt like it was being split open.

“Oh, you’ve already forgotten that much have you?” Monokuma chided before pointing to himself, “At the very least, do you remember me?”

Junko’s eyes immediately focused on the demented bear and fury suddenly filled her mind.

“You little bastard!” she furious shouted, tugging at her restraints. “Of course I remember you, you stupid stuffed toy! You’re the one who put me here and is taking away my despair!”

Hearing this, Monokuma couldn’t help but chuckle as he realized that, even if she remembered that it was him doing the erasing, she seemed to have forgotten who the bear really was and the purpose that it had in ‘executing’ her.

“Just wanted to be sure,” the bear said grinning menacingly and lifting the switch up for her to see again.

All of Junko’s fury left her as she watched him reach for the switch, continuing to pull and jerk on her restraints.

“No, no, no, no, no! Not again! Please!! I’m begging—!”

Her pleas were cut short as the current of electric resumed, passing through her exhausted brain once more. Her entire body stiffened and ached as she felt more and more of herself slipping away. She tried to hold in her cries of agony as long as she could, but it wasn’t long before her voice was strained once again with a painful shrill.

“AAAAAH! AAAAH! ERRRAHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”

The intensity of the electricity was far greater than it was before and Junko felt her as if her mind and body were being torn in different directions. Beyond the agonizing pain that continued to tear her apart, nothing registered in her mind, too focused on enduring the torture. Just as she felt her mind would slip into the bliss of unconsciousness, the roar of the machine ceased once more, denying her that comfort.

“Aah…Rrgh…Arah…” she moaned exhaustedly, almost unable to breathe.

In front of her, Monokuma examined her face carefully before asking, “So then, how are you feeling now?”

“W-What…are you…talking a-abou—?” the agonizing woman tried to say before grunting in pain and falling silent. Losing what little energy she felt she had left, Junko slumped in her restrained seat and focused on breathing, trying her best not to hyperventilate.

“Upupupu…It seems you’ve forgotten all about little old Monokuma, haven’t you Junko?” the demented bear chided, not really caring if she understood his words or not.

Getting back up on the table beside her, Monokuma leaned in closer to her and used one paw to turn her face toward him. Her blue eyes had begun to lose their luster and it was obvious that she was struggling just to stay awake.

Seeing this, Monokuma scoffed and said, “Pathetic. If your sister could see you now, I’m sure she’d be ashamed. Good thing she’s not around to see you like this—”.

Suddenly, an audible gasp escaped Junko as her eyes widened and she shouted, “M-My sister! W-Where is she?! What have you done to Mukuro?!”

Her abrupt outburst startled the half and half bear and he instantly reared back, letting go of her face. Junko stared at the bear with renewed strength, her firm gaze demanding to know what had become of her only sister. It was almost incredible how fierce she was glaring at him, considering that she had been the one responsible for said sister’s death.

Frankly, Monokuma was surprised to see this. He knew she’d forget everything but somehow, the despair obsessed woman had held onto her memories of her sister quite tightly. Perhaps there was more to Junko’s feelings for her sister than she had let on. He knew that Junko had killed Mukuro for her sister to experience the ultimate despair, but it only now occurred to him that, even as twisted as it was, that desire was born of a genuine love for her sister.

Grinning manically at her, Monokuma graciously decided to answer her question.

“Don’t you remember? _You killed her…_ ”

Junko’s irises bulged at this news and as she tried to comprehend his words, pain shot through her head.

“Wh-What are you...?” she tried to say before another jolt of pain pulsed through her, making her groan. “I…I couldn’t have…why would…I…?”

Watching Junko struggle in vain to recall what had happened was quite amusing to the demented bear, but he also knew that if he dragged her torment out too long, they might be discovered. Feeling that he’d done more than enough torturing, Monokuma decided that it was finally time for purge the last of her memories.

“Well, this little game has been fun…but I’m getting bored of you,” Monokuma announced hopping off the table once more and picking up the switch.

Turning around, he saw that even in her state of confusion and delirium, Junko still recognized that switch as the source of her agony. And although he wouldn’t admit it, he was still rather impressed that she knew to fear it. She must have subconsciously remembered what it was capable of and had developed a phobia of it.

This meant that he would need to use a much more powerful shock, to fully purge all memories from her mind. And this time, he wouldn’t stop until he was certain that all of her brain cells were completely fried!

Tears rolled down Junko’s cheeks as she shook her head fervently, she pleaded, “No…no more! Please, I’m begging you! I’ll do anything you want just please don’t—”.

Before she even finished her request, Monokuma flipped the switch and danced with glee as Junko screamed frantically once more. Unlike the first two attempts, he turned the switch up all the way this time, sending an even more destructive wave of electricity coursing through her brain.

“STOP!!!!! ARRRRAHHHH!!! PLEASE!!!! ERRRAAAAHHH!!!!” she managed to scream through her pain, desperate enough to beg and plead during such agony.

However, those please fell on deaf ears as Monokuma continued to playfully waddle in front of her. He couldn’t help how great it felt to watch his creator screaming in agony as the last of her precious memories were stripped from her. Junko had programmed her alter ego to revel in the misery of others and it made no difference if it was Junko herself being punished.

“This…I could get used to…!” Monokuma lustfully whispered to himself as it watched Junko’s body violently flail about under the devastating current of electricity.

Suddenly, Junko’s body seemed to give out and she slumped to one side of the chair, completely motionless. Surprised by this, Monokuma quickly turned the Memory Eraser off and dashed over to her. Fearing that she might have lost consciousness, and therefore wouldn’t experience the pain first-hand, the demented bear prepared to call the robotic masked men back in to resuscitate her.

However, to his utter shock, he saw that Junko was in fact, still awake! Her eyes were twitching and she was hyperventilating but she was undoubtedly still conscious, even if her eyes were dull and unresponsive.

“Hey now! That’s not fair!” Monokuma complained, growling up at the pain stricken woman. “You can’t just pretend to lose consciousness like that! Now I have to start the process again! I hope you’re—!”

“I…I am…”

Monokuma abruptly became silent as Junko’s lifeless eyes suddenly brightened as she began to speak softly to herself.

“J-Junko…Enoshima…Junko…E-Enoshima…Jun...ko…Eno...shi...ma…”

If Monokuma would have had real eyes, they would have widened at the sight before him. She continued to repeat her name to herself, like a mantra. Her words were soft but firm and it had startled him so much that he almost lost the will to speak. It was more than impressive that she could remember anything at this point, even more so because she recalled her own name in its entirety!

And the way she said it, firmly but also with a loving tone, showed that this was the one thing she desperately clung to more than any other. Her name was who she was and she was still fighting with all her might just to keep it.

However, that was the very thing that upset Monokuma the most! After everything that had happened, she still clung to that useless name in a futile attempt to keep her memories!

Even if she would never know or even understand it, Junko Enoshima had embraced hope for the first time in her life…the hope that, if she could just keep her name, she might remember the rest someday. Or at least, that’s what Monokuma could decipher from her frantic need to repeat her soon to be forgotten name.

Nevertheless, no matter how frustrating it was that she had clung to this hope at the end, the Alter Ego of Junko was impressed with their creators resolve to never give in, even in the face of ‘execution’.

But that admiration quickly faded as the mumbling from her creator began to get on her nerves.

“Clinging to hope in your last moments…such a sad and pathetic creature you’ve become,” Monokuma whispered to himself before lifting up the Memory Eraser switch one final time. “Goodbye…Junko Enoshima.”

One final time, the Memory Eraser roared to life, intent on claiming the last of the girl’s precious memories. As the electric current coursed through her brain and body that final time, Junko felt the last of her resistance fade away. And with it, the last part of her that she could call…herself.

Throughout the entirety of Hope’s Peak Academy, a final horrendous scream of sorrow rocked the halls.

* * *

 

“I found her! She’s in here!”

Asahina shouted to her friends as they all searched for the missing Junko. None of them had noticed that the despair obsessed woman was missing until Makoto had gone to bring her breakfast the next morning.

Immediately afterward, they had all split up to search the halls and it was Aoi that had finally discovered where Junko had been. Everyone piled into the room and all of them froze at the sight before them.

Junko Enoshima, covered in sweat and sitting in a puddle of her own excrement, was still strapped to that odd electric chair that none of the others recognized. She slumped against the back of the chair, head hung down and eyes tightly shut.

Makoto’s eyes bulged at the sight and he immediately rushed forward, shouting, “Junko! What the hell is going on here?!”

Without thinking he tore the helmet off her head, letting her long pink hair come untied and fall to her sides. He then set to loosening the straps on her arms and legs but was stopped when a hand harshly grabbed his shoulder. Jerking his head around, Makoto found the cold glare of Byakuya Togami bearing into him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the Ultimate Affluent Progeny seethed, pulling Makoto away from the restrained girl. “Honestly! Can’t you see that his is obviously a trap?”

Shrugging off Byakuya’s grip, Makoto retorted, “Set by who?! Or are you suggesting that Junko was able to tie herself to that electric chair?!”

Narrowing his eyes at the Ultimate Hope for his persistence, Byakuya scoffed and folded his arms.

“If you want to get yourself killed, that’s no concern of mine. However, we don’t know what kind of traps may be waiting for us here. Or have you forgotten how dangerous this woman is?”

Slightly flinching under his comments, Makoto bravely answered, “…No, I haven’t. But that doesn’t mean that we can just sit here and not investigate what’s happened!”

“Hmph, all I’m saying is that releasing her before we understand what happened is foolish,” Byakuya said before he pointed past Makoto and continued, “Besides, that’s what we have _her_ for.”

Spinning around to see what Byakuya meant, Makoto immediately understood as soon as he saw Kyoko hovering around Junko’s restrained form. As expected of the Ultimate Detective, she was already examining the body and wasn’t afraid to slip her hands under Junko’s clothes to examine her.

Hesitantly approaching, Makoto looked to Kyoko and asked, “So, is she—?”

“Dead?…I’m afraid not.”

Everyone felt the hint of resentment in the Ultimate Detective’s voice but no one had the heart to question it.

And beyond that, Kyoko’s words were met with a mixture of relief and confusion. On the one hand, it was great that another murder hadn’t taken place, especially considering that everyone besides Junko was together during her disappearance. That meant that they had a new mystery to solve.

All of them stared at Junko’s situation for a long time, none of them even wanting to consider that someone else might have done this to her.

“So then, if she’s not dead, then what happened to her?” Yasuhiro carefully asked, standing near the door while still trying to settle his nerves.

“I-I bet th-that she tried t-to kill herself!” Toko abruptly blurted, making everyone turn to stare at her. She’d reverted back to her passive self after sneezing not long ago. “W-What?! We’re all thinking i-it! We all kn-know how much she wanted to d-die!”

Everyone thought hard on what Toko had said, knowing that it was probably the most accurate answer to what had happened.

“That’s true, but…” Makoto said as he turned around to look at Junko again, “I just can’t see how she managed to escape. Or for that matter, how she would have tied herself to that chair.”

Walking closer to the restrained girl, Byakuya took a long look at the restraints holding her and sighed, “These locks are pretty simple and could be locked without much trouble. And if she had really wanted to, she could have simply used one hand to tie down her other limbs before using her teeth to secure the final strap.”

“But what about her head?” Asahina asked, pointing the helmet that had been thrown aside. “How did she get that on?”

“She probably put it on before strapping herself in,” Kyoko answered plainly, still examining Junko’s figure.

“That makes sense, I guess…Oh, look!” Asahina shouted, pointing to the switch for the chair that was currently sitting next to Junko’s foot. “She could have easily turned the chair on with her foot!”

“If that’s true, then why did the power to the chair shut off? Shouldn’t it still be frying her?” Yasuhiro questioned, trying to help as best he could.

“Perhaps the device is set to turn off after a regulated amount of time,” Byakuya suggested, picking up the switch with a merciless smirk on his face. “Maybe we ought to test that—”.

“Don’t you dare!” Makoto shouted, slapping the switch from his hands. “We’ve got enough problems to deal with and besides…”

They all turned to look at how humiliating a position Junko was in, sitting in a pool of her own excrement while her body occasionally twitched from the pain.

“Don’t you think she’s suffered enough?” Makoto pleaded, hoping he could convince the cold hearted Togami heir.

Huffing in annoyance and folding his arms again, Byakuya replied, “I suppose I can let it slide…for now. Still, that doesn’t mean that we can simply ignore what’s happened.”

Nodding firmly, Makoto stared at Junko’s form and said, “I know that, but let’s just try and be careful with her…alright?”

Everyone held in a sigh at his words. Even as the Ultimate Hope, Makoto was still a soft hearted young man that even cared for the one responsible for killing his classmates. Perhaps that’s what it meant for someone to be designated the Ultimate Hope in the first place but that wasn’t what was important right now.

As they all gathered to try and figure out this new mystery, Asahina spotted the helmet again and walked over to, poking it as if it was it would roar to life at any time.

“So, what do you think this helmet thing is for anyway?” she asked, oblivious to the many of her friends rolling their eyes at her comment.

“It’s rather obvious if you look at it,” Kyoko blatantly replied, picking up the helmet and setting it aside. She then pointed to the electric generator behind the chair and said, “This is probably a makeshift electric chair that Junko had designed for use in the Mutual Killing Game. She just chose to use it on herself as a final resort.”

As everyone began to piece together what they believed to have happened, Makoto still had doubts running through his mind.

“…But that doesn’t solve how she managed to get her in the first place,” he suddenly said aloud, getting everyone’s attention. “We all were pretty sure she was tied up tightly. And if she _did_ have a way to get free, why didn’t she try to get away?”

Hearing this, Byakuya scoffed at him and replied, “Obviously she couldn’t handle the fact that we’d spared her and she wanted to end her own life—”.

“But that’s what doesn’t make sense!” Makoto insisted, gesturing toward the chair. “Why would Junko use such an unreliable method? Not to mention one that we would notice and be able to understand? Don’t you think that she would have tried to bring us more despair instead of simply killing herself?”

Silence greeted his words as everyone recognized that he had a point. For a moment, it seemed that no one would challenge him, that is, until Kyoko decided to speak up.

“There’s just one problem with that deduction,” she said firmly, staring at Makoto to make sure he was listening before she continued, “Don’t you think that Junko might _want_ to kill herself this way? Just to make us feel the despair of having failed to force her to atone for her crimes?”

A wave of surprise washed over Makoto as he was forced to realize the validity of her words. It was entirely possible and something that the Ultimate Despair would certainly do. But for some reason, something about all of this felt off…planned even!

Before he could properly express his doubts, an exhausted moan echoed in the room. Everyone’s eyes shot to the makeshift electric chair and all of them gasped as Junko slowly began to shift in her seat.

Slowly, her eyes fluttered open and she barely managed to lift her head up to look at everyone around her.

Her normally vibrant and expressive blue eyes were now dull and lifeless, as if all the life had been drained from her. Her mouth hung open in confusion as she stared from one person to the next, her face growing more and more weary by the moment.

Slowly, she found the will to speak, “Where…am I? What’s going on here?”

Her voice was strangely fearful, nothing like the confident and deranged woman they’d come to know. And the way her eyes darted all around showed that she was just as confused as everyone else. Not to mention that it took less than a moment for her to realize that she was effectively tied down, sending a wave of panic through her.

“W-Why am I tied up?! W-What’s going on here?! Who are you people?! What do you want from me?!”

Much to everyone’s surprise, Junko abruptly burst in tears as she squirmed in her seat. She furiously tugged at her restraints, sobbing even harder as she realized that there was no way for her to escape.

Watching her desperately struggle to get free, terrified out of her mind at the mere sight of them, Makoto forgot about all the evil she’d committed and moved toward her. Seeing him approach, Junko freaked out even more and reared her head away from him, fear welling up in her teary eyes.

“D-Don’t come any closer! I’m warning you!” she shouted, hoping to scare him. However, when he didn’t stop coming toward her, she squeezed her eyes shut and screamed, “S-Stay back! D-Don’t hurt me!”

She suddenly felt a hand on her arms and she flinched as she waited for something horrible to happen. However, much to her shock, she suddenly felt the straps securing her arms loosen and her eyes snapped open to see that her arms were now free. Lifting her head up, she watched in surprise as Makoto leaned down and unlatched the shackles on her legs.

“W-What are you...?” she asked with a trembling voice, completely perplexed as to what was happening.

Rising to his feet and smiling down at her, Makoto nervously scratched his head and replied, “I figured that you weren’t very comfortable like that.”

Even if it was only for a second, Junko actually felt as if she could trust the boy that had just freed her. That was before she watched as everyone behind him closed in around her.

Having watched as Makoto had done yet another foolish thing, Byakuya groaned and was about to step in when Kyoko threw an arm in front of him. Turning to glare at her, he was shocked to see a soft expression spread over the Ultimate Detective’s face. It only lasted a moment before she hardened her features and shook her head at him.

“I understand your concerns but we need to have faith in Makoto’s judgment,” she insisted, dropping her arm and looking over to the Ultimate Hope. “He hasn’t led us astray yet, now has he?”

A fearsome scowl overtook Byakuya features but he made no move to oppose them. He’d learned first-hand that acting solely on reason could be fatal and decided that it was best to let things play out for a bit longer before he intervened. And although he was frustrated by both Kyoko and Makoto’s sudden act of trust, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny decided to simply wash his hands of the issue and stepped back.

“I won’t be held responsible for my actions if she tries anything, I hope you understand that,” he told Kyoko plainly, giving her a stern look of his own.

A light smirk overtook the Ultimate Detective’s lips as she answered, “I certainly do. And I’m counting on it.”

Byakuya and Kyoko shared a firm nod, understanding what they might need to do. Makoto wouldn’t agree with their decision but that’s why it had to be done. Since the Ultimate Hope could be far too trusting, they felt justified in preparing to go against his decision if it meant they all survived.

It was because they respected and trusted him that they weren’t going to let his naiveté get the better of him, not after all that had happened.

“That’s great and all,” Asahina suddenly interjected before pointing at Junko, “But we still don’t know anything about what’s going on with her!”

“Yeah, like why she doesn’t seem remember us. Not to mention why she’s acting more terrified than a fly in a toilet bowl,” Yasuhiro concurred, even more confused than anyone else.

A collective sigh escaped everyone at the Ultimate Clairvoyant’s odd comparison but no one corrected him, deciding to focus on solving this mystery instead.

All the while, Junko stared at these people in utter silence. Too bewildered by her captors suddenly freeing her, she opted to remain silent and do as they said. After all, she was their prisoner…she thought.

Was that the case? _She_ was _their_ prisoner? Something about that felt…ironic, but she just couldn’t understand why—

A sudden pain shot through her skull and she clutched her head as an agonizing groan escaped her throat.

Seeing this, Makoto immediately came to her side and said, “What’s wrong?! Are you still in pain?!”

“I…I’m not…sure…” she tried to say but stopped as the pain surged through her again, making her cry out. Everyone crowded around her as she twisted and screamed, unsure if there was anything they should or even _could_ do for her.

After a moment of agonizing pain, she began to become unexplainably frustrated and despite her suffering, she shouted, “What’s going on?! Why does my head hurt so much?! Why am I here?! What’s happened to me?!”

Shooting her gaze up, her hands flew out and grasped Makoto’s shoulders, shaking him desperately.

“Who are you people?! What is this place?! And… _who am I_?!”

As one, everyone’s eyes widened as the humiliated girl’s sudden plea. Her voice was filled with desperation and terror, tears beginning to flow from her eyes once more. Everyone knew that Junko was a hell of an actor but seeing her like this, humiliated and to the point of breaking, it was clear that she truly had no idea of who she was or what she’d done.

And although he’d never admit it aloud, not even the great Byakuya Togami could believe that it was an act.

Upon not receiving an answer from her captors, Junko’s head sank and she let her arms fall from Makoto’s shoulders. Thick, heavy sobs racked her body as she wrapped her arms around herself and as she tried, in vain, to fight the panic that rose up inside.

“Please…” she whispered, desperate and frightened. “I can’t take this…please tell me…who am I? And what am I doing here? I’m begging you!”

Shooting her head up, she made eye contact with everyone, her blue irises pleading for answers.

As that desperate plea reached their ears, none of the surviving students could find the will answer. In the back of their minds, they feared that if they told her the truth, she might regain those horrific memories and become a threat to them again. However, it was painful to watch a girl with no memories of her crimes, be punished for reasons she couldn’t fathom.

It may be true that she was guilty of many crimes but did that make it alright to burden her when she couldn’t even recall what those crimes were? In all honesty, it was a conundrum that not even Kyoko Kirigiri, the Ultimate Detective, could find an answer to.

Because of that, for nearly an entire minute, no one said a single word. The humiliated girl continued to stare up at all of them, her eyes pleading for them to give her some sort of answer, no matter how vague it could be. When it became clear that she wasn’t going to get her answer, she hung her head and let her tears fall into her lap, sobbing almost uncontrollably.

It was then that a soft hand landed on her head and she jerked her gaze up to see Makoto smiling warmly down at her.

“Honestly, we’re not sure how you ended up here. We’re still trying to figure that out. In the meantime, can you tell us if there is anything you _can_ remember? It doesn’t matter how small, anything at all.”

The amnesiac girl shuddered at how kind and compassionate this boy was being to her. And she didn’t understand why but she immediately knew he was telling the truth. Something about him gave her strength and his words somehow brought an odd sense of…hope.

Doing her best to calm down and do as he said, she racked her brain and fought the pain as she tried to remember anything…anything at all! Finally, after groaning and staving off the agony that trying to recall her past brought her, two words appeared in her mind. She didn’t know from where but she instantly recognized these two specific words.

“I…I remember one thing…I think…it’s a name…My name!”

Everyone gasped as she shouted that, unsure if it had been such a good idea to encourage her to remember. However, as the humiliated girl stared up at them, suddenly proud that she had recalled something, despite the agony it caused; they decided to let her speak.

“And what is it?” Makoto gently asked, nervous but anxious at the same time.

Lifting her head up and smiling brightly, the amnesiac girl proudly declared:

“…Ryoko Otonashi!”

* * *

 

Across the room, hidden far in the back corner out of sight, Monokuma watched as Junko Enoshima slipped away from the world, this time permanently, and she became Ryoko Otonashi once more. Holding in a despair fill chuckle, the bear began to deactivate itself as it assessed that its task had been completed.

“The ‘execution’ of Junko Enoshima…is complete!”

**The End?**

**Author's Note:**

> This story was born out of my desire to see Junko actually be punished for her crimes, even though I soooo enjoyed her execution in the game! I thought that having her be executed by memory wipe would be a much more fitting punishment because technically, she’s now dead and never coming back, yet forced to live on. I liked it and find it very fitting but what do you all think? 
> 
> Leave a review to tell me your opinions of the story or to leave comments on how you think I can make the story better!   
> Have a great day everyone and keep on smiling!


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